Gear drive



Allg 19, 1952A R. R. ENGLISH ETAL 2,607,238

' GEAR DRIVE Filed April 28, 1951 y @MQKJM Patented Aug. 19, 1952 Rober-tit. Englisliand Norman Cappelle,r Chicago, Y Ill., assignorsto Qak `Q IIIIfg., ,Co.,a. corporation of Illinois v, f ,Avnliffetie fThis invention'relates to' a ticularlylto the type of driveused where nobacklash or'lost motion'is permitted. Thus .forl example, the mechanical drive betweena knob vand a tuning element'in many electrical devices such as radio receivers, transmitters, signal generators and the like, generally provides for a substantial reduction in'speed without any backlash or. lost motion. While the driyesin above devices are frequently frictional, many such drives in clude a train of gears with or withoutadditional frictionalmeans.

A common form of drive fortuning condensers, or the like, consists of a pair of twin gearsin face to face relation to function as a single gear. ,A

These two -gears are angularlyoii'set frome'ach otherlby one or more springs, the 'offset amounting to a 'fraction of -a gear tooth. Thus, .'thenet effect is to maintain a tight fit between meshing gear teeth so that all backlash with one adjacent gear is eliminated. Such a conventional drive is satisfactory where backlash between two successive gears in a gear train is to be eliminated. However, where there are three or more gears to the gear train, it is found that the backlash between one composite gear and another 'gear drive rand .par-

f gprgii'zas, 1951, serai N9. 223,499 acidit. 'wlmenui-.;

gear is eliminated but that backlash between a composite gear and a third gear is still present.

This invention aims to provide a gear construction wherein backlash will be eliminated substantially completely in a gear train consisting of three gears. In a gear train using a larger number of gears, it is possible to have every third gear made as disclosed herein with the remaining gears of conventional.construction. This is in distinction to the composite gear of the prior art wherein every other gear would. have to follow this construction. Inasmuch as such composite gears are substantially more expensive than conventional gears, it will be appreciated that a substantial saving is effected by virtue of the present invention. Y

In general, the invention utilizes a pair of gears in face to face relation as in a conventional structure described above. Such conventional structures customarily mount one gear rigidly upon the pin while the twin gear is mounted for rotation with respect to the rst gear, the rotational mounting being snug enough so that the two gears can only rotate with respect to each other but have no other substantial movement. In accordance with this invention, the twin gears are so mounted with respect to each other that a certain amount of universal movement. both rotational and rocking is permitted. The two gears are spring biased with respect to each other, the

n :springs preferably being y disposed at spaced-rcgions around the axis of .the two gears.

.Y In vorder that the inventionmay be further understood, reference will nownbevmade. tothe drawings, wherein:l

. Vl5"igure.;l shows an Velevation ora; three-gear train with one of the gears'embodying the "in- Vention; .f FigureZ 'is a section alongline 2--2 ofiFigvurel;` .Y n y .f i Figures 3 and 4 are views of the two gear blanks usedzin making the composite gear involving the `present invention. .Y 'I

' A gear train may have vdriving pinionrgII) -mounted on shaft II Vmeshing-with composite gear generally indicated by numeral I2 which;in

turn meshes with vdriven gear Itmountedvon shaft or piny I5. Any one of the three gears may `be the driver. vIn practice, the three gears are usually the fiat gears having conventional gear teeth. However, any or all ofr the gears may be of special type or even wormA gears. The gears may be of any desired material, such as metal, plastic, fiber or the like.

Referring specifically to composite gear I2, this consists of twin gears I1 and I8 identical in size and construction, except for accommodating the shaft. Thus, gear I'I has aperture I9 in the center thereof for accommodating a shaft or pin. Gear I'I also has a number of slots 20, here shown as four, uniformly distributed around shaft hole I9. Slots 20 are generally rectangular with finger 2| extending inwardly of the slot at'one end thereof. All slots 20 in gear I'l are similar and tongue 2I occurs at the same end of the slot.

Corresponding gear I8 has aperture I9' substantially larger than aperture I9 of gear I1. The gear I8 has slots 20' and tongue 2|' identical with slots 20 and tongue 2I. In fact, except for apertures I9 and I9' in the two gears, the two gears are identical even as regards slots. However, it will be noted that one gear is reversed with respect to the other so that tongue 2I in one lgear is opposed to tongue 2|' in the companion gear.

Gears I1 and I8 are assembled in aligned relation so that slots 20 and 2U register and tongues 2I and 2|' are opposed to each other. Suitable springs 23 are disposed in the slots, opposing tongues 2| and 2I' retaining the springs in position.

Gears I'I and I8 are mounted upon stub shaft 25. Stub shaft 25 has stepped parts 26 and 21. The assembled gears are disposed upon the stepped end of shaft 25 with gear I8 having larger aperture I9' disposed over step 26. Gear I'I with pin is small enough so Vthat a substantial clear-f ance -30 is provided between step 26 and the infv side surface of gear I8 forming aperture" I9 Thus for example, the clearanceiatfstepped por tion 26 may be of the order; eiff-f` :\"1i'1''-'or-#fivethou#` sandths of an inch. A larger or smaller clearance may be provided depending u pon theaceuracy efq the gears, the amount of tolerances in the vanri-v A ous shafts and pins and other factors-.vItwill f 20 having stepped parts ijs provided for supporting be clear, that geal` I8 will be oiset from I1 by be permitted" .toV fhavera limited universal motion and ,takeup'the V-backlaslrfor both gears '.I'arnd I 4.

,-Whatis claimedis: 1

1. A composite gear for use Yinzfa fgearitrain,

asaidfgear comprising :apair of 'twiniigeara 'said `gear-s being similar :and havinga number-foislots in the body of the gear, said gears being adapted tolbedisposed inface to face'relation to formpne composite gear, springs in said slots vtendingrt-o bias one Vgear rotatably with respect to theother fgeargmeans for mounting onegearf with substantially no play perpendicular to ithe gear axis `so thatit' is only freerfor,A rotation 'sand meanslfor 'mounting said other gear to provideiplayeperpendicular 'to the vgear axis so that itfisi'ree torotate rst gear and pick up backlash on gears ahead of and behind the composite gear.

2. A composite gear for use as an intermediate gear in a gear train and adapted to `eliminate 5 backlash on both the driving and driven gears,

I 10 `porting said two gears, said pin having a snug t 4for one gear to provide for rotation with substan- .tially no play perpendicular to the gear axis, said `p`in-having a loose fit for the second gear to proilideforzrotationiand some play perpendicular to ff-the gearaxss 3. The construction according to claim 2, whereinsaid two'gears have a plurality of slots wit rings in said slots for obtaining the spring etween the twins and wherein a member -said itwinsfoneA of the steppedportions having Aclearance with Irespect. to-its ,gear twin- Y j ysaid clearance permits substantial lateral s nieve'- mentofjsaid :gear tw PEL-LE.' f

Y -iThe Vfollowing vr'references :are'of '.recor the -UNiTED'isTziiiEs-'Pirifenrs p nenas. Y1,944 

